Another thread from a potential buyer

[Dagger71]

So I will be getting a new Sager laptop NP9570, and will mainly be playing fsx, Arma2/3, wwiionline and definitely want to learn everything about the DCS series, primarily CA, FC3 and A10 (would love the AH64!)

 

I am living in Brazil, and will be travelling back and forth to Canada so the laptop is the only way to go for me.

 

I played lockon when it first came out, but was too buggy for my liking. A couple of years later I bought FC1 but was sorely disappointed in then campaign (remember the save game bug which rendered all enemy units in-identifiable) which left me too frustrated to play any other aircraft.

 

But I have been extremely excited about this new series and believe it is a huge leap forward, so I will be ready in a month or less to give it a go. For now I am basically reading up on it but I do have a few questions.

 

1 is it advisable to get FC3 and CA first to get a feel for the sim, then move on to the A10 module (and possibly black shark)?

 

2 in learning FC1 it didn't take too much time to master most of the controls and felt comfortable to start the campaign after a few tutorials. Will the A10 sim be soo much more complicated, that you have to basically forget how you fly it in FC3 and learn anew in A10? I hope I am making sense .

 

3 I would be interested in joining multiplayer (with CA) and join a squad, how dynamic can the game get online? Average number of players (OPFOR) etc? I loved playing arma since OF and the multiplayer rocked! In Arma2 I prefer coop but in DC world I'd love to see rather large battles.

 

4 HOTAS warthog. I already have trackir5 so I know the warthog is the next must have. Once set up, how much keyboard and mouse input would be required? I prefer to have everything bound to Joystick (currently only have Logitech 3d). In FC1 I had the targeting slew bound to mouse so it actually went rather well, but I believe almost everything can be bound to the HOTAS in this game. I think dual throttle setup and all the programmable buttons would be good to fly fsx without ever touching the k/b.

my only gripe would be no twist control on the stick, which would probably force me to get some rudder pedals, and yes I realize there was no twist rudder control on the stick IRL.

 

5 external MFDs. I have an ipad mini and my wife has an ipad 2, I am planning on get the icontrol for ipad but was also wondering about the cougar mfd pack. They come with cardboard inserts, but what would they do? Are they mainly extra keys to interact with the on screen mfd? Do they give any lead read outs?

Icontrol gives you several panels for which you can swap, but would it be worth getting both?

 

 

Thanks for your time in replying, and will start to be more active as my time to takeoff approaches

[159th_Falcon]

Some answers, remember though its rather personal so someone else could say the complete opposite;

 

1, No, no need to waste your time on E or H if all you really want is Q.

Its not that hard, unless you want to master it within a day or two.

(referring to the DCS modules, KA-50, A10-C, P-51D and UH-1H)

 

2, Flying is flying, keep your speed up to be able to manouver/climb, keep the Alpha low to avoid a stall etc etc, all the basics are still the same.

The DCS aircraft do feel quite different though, but i wouldn't wanna say there harder to fly.

 

3, it can get VERY dynamic, then again a lot depends on how the mission was made and how people are playing said mission.

If it was made to be 10 RED vs 3 Blue +AI and you get 3 RED vs 3 Blue +AI pretty much nothing is left of the original mission.

(shameless plug, the 159th GAR operates almost all aircraft as well as CA)

 

4, don't have it so cant really comment on this apart from the fact that you need the scratch pad every now and then to input stuff into the aircrafts computer.

Like target co-ordinates for example. Or weapon profile parameters (automatic lasing, lasing time, profile name [assuming a10c here])

 

5, absolutely no idea, sorry.

[JetlinerX]

1. No. I think jumping into the A10C first is the way to go. Then getting CA, then FC3 if you want. Personally I have yet to mess with FC3, so dont take my word on that order exactly...

 

2. Yes. It's not hard, but complex. Lots to remember. The best thing to do is read the Quick Start Manual, and that will get you popin turrets of your foes in no time. (Get it!? It's a joke... instead of popin heads... it's turrets... cuz they're tanks... so they.... Okay, I'll leave.)

 

3. I cannot answer this, I have yet to go online. Someone else can take care of this for ya! :)

 

4. If you get a HOTAS, you will barely need a keyboard and mouse. If you do not get a HOTAS, you will need a lot of keyboard and mouse. Either work fine, but if you are willing to get serious, you will want a HOTAS. Also, the next best thing besides a Warthog would be an x52, which DOES have a twist for rudder. Maybe look into that?

 

5. I am unsure of any of that stuff, someone else may know how to take care of that.

 

Good luck, and happy landings! :)

[NhiTrac]

1. I'd say go straight into DCS. If DCS is your goal then you may as well jump into the deep and experience it from the get go.

 

2. As per point 1. Just skip the 'training wheels' and go for it.

 

4. I have a THWH and TIR. I only touch the keyboard to pause, change views and radios. Everything else is via the hotas and mouse. I believe installing TARS will allow you to operate the radio via voice commands.

[Scarecrow]

Ok the TM Warthog is excellent but you are gonna have to interact with the clickable pit, there is no way your gonna want or need to program every switch to the HOTAS.

I have the Cougar MFD's stuck onto a second monitor with the MFD's displayed on the monitor and after a few months with them I realised they weren't really necessary as you never really need to interact with them in the heat of battle, unless you didn't prep correctly:) Plus it screws the HDR bloom :(

The rudder issue is gonna be a problem in FC3, Huey and BS as you really need rudder control, A10c has SAS so the aircraft is fine in the air but on take off and landing you still need rudder.

 

My advice is get the TM Warthog, rudder pedals and a track ball. Good luck dragging all that around the world:D

Edited May 22, 2013 by Scarecrow

[Pikey]

Another opinion.... the only sim you need rudder pedals for is the chopper titles, A10 they almost are not required. Get A10 unless you are a big Player versus player champ. Warthog is a special beast but with a x52 you wont lose anything. A10 is a lovely flying experience, better than anything you've felt in any other flight sim, FC3 is all about the pvp and its a bit meh to fly.

[Dagger71]

Ok great advice everyone. And quick! I do realize that with the mfd there will be inputs, but I am hoping with icontrol, everything can be done through ipad and HOTAS.

 

I can't wait to start training!

[pii]

Ok great advice everyone. And quick! I do realize that with the mfd there will be inputs, but I am hoping with icontrol, everything can be done through ipad and HOTAS.

 

I can't wait to start training!

 

If you get a WH HOTAS the stick defaults to the same functions as the real A-10c you don't even need to set it up. However you can add to it if you use MODIFIERS and could probably put just about anything you would ever want on it with out ever using the Target software. The only time I touch the keyboard is to pause but that's only because I haven't bother to map it. There are 55 buttons on the WH and with modifiers, which you can define in the A-10c configurations, you virtually have 100's. This isn't strictly a WH thing, you could do the same with an x52 or any Joystick. The A-10c configurations is very flexible.